Quirks: The Way it Should Be

In reference to this reddit post, I’m going to go through the full list of variants and identify which ones have unusual or sub-optimal quirks, and then put in my opinion of what the quirks should be.

LCT-1E: While I love the love that the SL is getting, I don’t think it’s something that will make the LCT-1E good at all. It’s still the most fragile mech in the game, and forcing it to engage at pretty short range is a death sentence, especially when you consider that its small lasers aren’t the most powerful weapons in terms of DPS and alpha strike. What I would recommend instead, is changing the SL quirks to ML ones, and reducing them a bit. Change the range modifier to 25%/25% rather than 30%/30% so that you can use the MLs at around 500 meters without losing much damage. Keep the heat generation quirk (though change it to ML of course) and then you have the 6xML LCT being somewhat viable. It is still defensively very weak, but it will mount some considerable firepower which may make it a viable choice in tonnage-restricted drops, like dropship mode.

LCT-1M: Quirks seem fine, I don’t see any quirks making this mech good due to its hardpoints and their locations, so I don’t see any viable improvements. Maybe SRM4 and SL specific quirks could be better, but I’m not sure what could really be done for this variant to make it worthwhile.

LCT-1V: Solid as is.

LCT-3M: Looks pretty good. Maybe a small increase in the range quirk or an additional heat gen quirk, but other than that it seems fine.

LCT-3S: This is the one missile-centric Locust variant, and it has no missile-specific quirks, with its main generic quirk being range, which is pretty shit. I would abandon the ML quirk in favor of maybe just a simple energy range boost, and change missile quirks to be SRM-2 specific, targeted at cooldown and heat generation (could give up the range quirks no problem), giving it incredible DPS potential which might make it worth taking the mech into short-range engagements.

COM-1B: Same deal as the 1M. Quirks are fine, hardpoints are shit, so don’t see a way to make it decent.

COM-1D: Nailed it. Maybe change missile range to cooldown, but the quirks are fine on this one.

COM-2D: No real problem here. Maybe give it bigger generic missile quirks so you can run Streaks or SRM2s.

COM-3A: Another mech where the hardpoints & their locations pretty much ruin it. Nothing you can really do with quirks so the current ones are fine.

COM-TDK: Add on ML quirks to the ones that are already there and it would be pretty sick. Maybe tune down the generics to 7.5% so it’s not as insane.

SDR-5D: ECM doesn’t make it so good that it doesn’t need quirks. It’s still not taken, especially over the recent lights that have been quirked. Would recommend giving it MPL quirks for sure.

SDR-5K: Still not great, but not much else you can do to it to make it better.

SDR-5V: Quirks are too weak IMO. If you double the CD and maybe duration quirks it could be really interesting.

SDR-A: Give it a quirk that makes it so that you can’t fit NARC. I mean it’s a really shitty mech, but if you could add a quirk like SRM4 has double the fire rate, it could be a bit less shit.

FS9-K, FS9-H, and FS9-A: I would change it so that the SPL quirks go onto the H, the ML quirks go onto the K, and the SL quirks go onto the A. This is for a few reasons.

The FS9-K has always been the best ML boat for Firestarters, due to it having the arm-mounted energy hardpoints.

The FS9-H has ballistic (machine gun) hardpoints which sync up well with small pulse lasers in general, and only having 6 rather than 8 energy hardpoints makes it better suited for SPL than SL

The FS9-A has enough hardpoints to boat all the SLs you could ask for, and this way you retain a SL boat Firestarter.

FS9-S: Works fine as is.

FS9-E: Some movement quirks would be nice so it can survive the super-short range engagements it gets into.

JR7-D: Change it to a SSRM2 quirk, maybe add some minor energy quirks (10% in general to one of the stats?)

JR7-F: I’d give it at least a 10% buff to ML range at least, so that it can retain its long-range pokey ability.

RVN-2X: Aaand we’re back to mechs that need substantial quirk changes. I would switch them all over to MPL quirks probably, significant ones. The LPL just seems like too much tonnage for the mech since you can’t really boat them effectively on the chassis.

RVN-3L: I’d give this variant ERLL quirks to make it better at all it’s good at. Would also add maneuverability quirks so it can play it more effectively and compete with the Clan mechs at a level where they can’t respond.

RVN-4X: I would honestly give this one either LPL or PPC quirks. With only 2 energy hardpoints (and not a whole lot of other hardpoints), the quirks would have to be on a big weapon so that you can make it worthwhile.

RVN-H: It’s pretty much fine as is.

CDA-2A: Seems fine.

CDA-2B: Fine.

CDA-3C: No quirks can really make this mech good as far as I can tell. But you should consider adding a generic ballistic quirk (range or CD) so that people that want to take that short of build can.

CDA-3M: Looks good, maybe switch to ERLL from LL, but I’m kind of enjoying the LL quirks as is anyways.

CDA-X5: I don’t see it getting any modules to make it better.

BJ-1: I would switch it to a AC/20 quirks rather than AC/2 ones – cooldown and velocity.

BJ-1DC: Quirks seem fine.

BJ-1X: Quirks seem fine…again.

BJ-3: No problem here.

BJ-A: I would switch it from AC/20 perks to Machine Gun ones. Huge machine gun ones. Like, 50% range and pinpoint cone of fire and extra rate of fire if that’s possible.

Vindicators: In general, the Vindicator is directly inferior to the BJ-3 for a PPC chassis. Mixing low mounts with a wider frame means that your only choice is corner-peaking, which the BJ-3 could honestly still do better. So I’d replace all of those.

VND-1AA: I would change it from PPC quirks to LPL and ML, so you can run 2 and 2 and be a bit of a medium/short range energy brawler.

VND-1R: With only 5 energy hardpoints, loading it with MLs is thoroughly underwhelming. The MPL is way better and can actually be boated effectively on this variant, and you can’t really do much else with it.

VND-1X: I really don’t know what to do with this thing. I would probably do heavy ballistic quirks – AC/5s and AC/2s, and maybe some ML small quirks.

VND-1SIB: Definitely the best brawling Vindicator. Strip out all of the current quirks, replace them with ML and SRM6 quirks exclusively.

CN9-A: While I do enjoy SRM4s and MPLs, I think the chassis should stick to what it’s always been best at and keep SRM6 and ML quirks.

CN9-AH: Keep it where it is, love it.

CN9-AL: Don’t think there’s a problem with this, it’s not great but I don’t see any other quirks being better.

CN9-D: Change the SRM4 range quirk to Cooldown so that it syncs up better with the LBX.

CN9-YLW: Seems alright.

HBK-4G: Seems fine.

HBK-4H: Can’t think of anything different for this.

HBK-4J: I honestly think that what would be better for the HBK chassis than a LRM mech is an ERLL mech. Drop the LRM quirks for generic 15% missile CDR quirks, and buff the ERLL quirks up to the 30% range for Cooldown, Heat Gen, and either Range or Duration. That’s all it needs.

HBK-4P: Yup.

HBK-4SP: Yerp.

HBK-GI: Either fuck the MPL quirks and make it a full dakka boat with ridiculous UAC/5 quirks so that you can duel wield those incredibly effectively, or go for Gauss Cooldown, Velocity, and Range to make it a pure sniping boat.

TBT-3C: Ugh, fine.

TBT-5J: Same exact thing as the VND-1R. Give it MPL quirks, they can even be the same ones, just make them a slight bit weaker than the ones on the VND-1R.

TBT-5N, TBT-7M: I want the trebs to have a missile brawler that isn’t a hero mech, and the 7M has been pretty good at that since it got its tubes untied (used to have a narc tube in the LT, now it can hold up to 20). And I don’t think the 5N deserves such weaker quirks than the 3C, seeing as how the 3C’s larger engine and 5N’s torso twist probably balance out roughly, but I do think it deserves different quirks. So I would recommend changing the 5N quirks to be LRM10 based and give it specific ML or LL quirks, and give the 7M specific SRM quirks instead of LRM15 quirks.

TBT-7k: Not a huge fan of these quirks, would rather see it with AC20 and either ML or MPL quirks, to make it similar to the 4G, which is a role they’ve always sort of shared in the past, and that was always the most fun way to play the 7K. Since it has better movement stuff than the 4G you can give it YLW-level quirks.

TBT-LG: Nailed it.

GRF-1N: Maybe change the SRM6s to cooldown or velocity since the range perk’s not exactly great.

GRF-1S: Add a generic missile quirk.

GRF-3M: Like the 1N, would change to cooldown or missile velocity

GRF-1E: Coolio.

KTO-18: Would change the LRM5 quirks to SSRM2 ones, and make it so the GB is the LRM5 specialist of the Kintaros

KTO-19: Cool.

KTO-20: Just a bigger CN9-AL like always. Nothing wrong with it though, I suppose.

KTO-GB: Keep it the way it is, contingent on the 18 changing the SSRM2s. If the 18 stays the same, I’d change the GB to SSRM2s. Point is, give one SSRM2 quirks instead of LRMs.

SHD-2D: Shadowhawks haven’t been all that great, lately. Would give this ML heat gen quirks, and a generic missile and/or ballistic quirk.

SHD-2D2: I’d change this to a cooldown quirk, and increase it to 20%.

SHD-2H: I like it.

SHD-2K: Cool. Maybe a little generic missile one too.

SHD-5M: 5% ballistic CD would be nice.

Wolverines: Would give them all a bit of a leg armor buff. They’ve got some thunder thighs on them.

WVR-6K: Would give the RT bonus structure too, or maybe give the RT and RA bonus armor instead of structure.

WVR-6R: Alright.

WVR-7K: Cool.

DRG-1C: Works fine.

DRG-1N: Cool.

DRG-5N: Alright.

DRG-FANG: Fine.

DRG-FLAME: Nice.

QKD-4G: Ok.

QKD-4H: Mhm.

QKD-5K: Sure.

QKD-IV4: Uhuh.

CPLT-A1: Kk.

CPLT-C1: Works.

CPLT-C4: Why not.

CPLT-K2: Whatever.

CPLT-J: Right.

JM6-A: Stupid. AC/2 and LRM15? Gross. Get rid of the AC/2 quirk, give it a generic ballistic CD instead, and buff the missile quirk.

JM6-DD: Alright.

JM6-S: Good enough.

JM6-FB: Don’t see the point of PPC for this mech. Would definitely rather have LL or ERLL quirks on this.

TDR-5S: Should get quirks focused on ballistics and missiles, to make it unique among the TDR’s – it’s the only one with 2 missiles in their own torso, and one of two with 2 ballistics in the left arm. Would recommend SRM6s and AC/5s. Give it CD for both, drop all the energy weapon quirks except for ML heat gen.

TDR-5SS: Perfect <3.

TDR-9S: Might want to use ERLL instead of ERPPC.

TDR-9SE: Works.

CTF-1X: AC/20 instead of AC/10 for sure.

CTF-2X: I rather like this one.

CTF-3D: The 3D really isn’t that strong. Would recommend just something simple, like laser heat gen reduction, or ballistic cooldown.

CTF-4X: Cool.

CTF-IM: One of the obvious ones done wrong. AC/10 can’t be boated on the Ilya effectively, and even just 2 of them can’t be done that great. Should 100% be UAC/5 quirks instead of AC/10s.

ON1-K: Another clearly wrong one. Should be AC/20 quirk, not UAC/5.

ON1-M, ON1-V, and ON1-P: Here’s what I, in all honesty, would do. I’d give the LB-X quirks to the ON1-V so that it can be a double shotgun brawler with a ridiculous RoF, and change the LRM quirks to SRM4s. I think that would be utterly badass. Instead, I would give the ON1-M an AC/20 quirk, and leave it with the SRM6 quirks. Finally, move the ON1-V AC/5 quirks to the Protector, and replace the SRM6 quirks with generic energy quirks, like cooldown and beam duration.

ON1-VA: Just change the current SRM6 quirks to SRM4s, that way they sync up well with the AC/20.

AWS-8Q: Seems cool.

AWS-8R: Revolting. Would want anything else but what it has. But…ERLL quirks? Doesn’t make any sense! I would, at the very least, reduce the quirks from LRM15s to 15% total.

AWS-8T: This one should have some bigger energy quirks. LPL in particular, methinks. Feel free to drop down the LRM15 ones in exchange.

AWS-8V: Would definitely recommend LPL quirks over PPCs for this variants, and SRM6s over LRM15s too. I think it’s only reasonable to ask for a single brawling AWS, and it could get some extra armor buffs to make that work.

AWS-9M: Alright then.

AWS-PB. Um…ok. Nothing’s gonna make this good lol.

Victors: The DS was the only one that was ever Tier 1. The rest need quirks to keep up.

VTR-9B: Give it some AC/2 quirks.

VTR-9K: Not entirely sure what to do with this one. Probably be best off with generic energy quirks.